The nationwide seven-day incidence of new corona infections fell again against the background of the Easter holidays.

As the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced this Sunday morning, the value is now 834.3.

The day before it was 876.5, a week ago it was 1097.9.

The value quantifies the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants over a period of seven days.

The RKI had already pointed out "that due to the public holidays and vacations and the associated lower testing, reporting and transmission activity, there may be an increased under-recording of cases in the reporting system in the short term".

Accordingly, the official number of cases could fall, although more people are actually infected.

Almost 40,000 new infections

As the RKI announced, citing data from the health authorities, the number of new infections reported within 24 hours on Sunday was 39,784, after 37,568 the day before and 55,471 new infections a week ago.

The total number of registered cases of infection in Germany since the beginning of the corona pandemic has increased to 23,416,663.

Within 24 hours, 13 other deaths related to the corona virus were also registered.

The total number of corona deaths recorded in Germany rose to 132,942.

Lauterbach worried about new variants

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) wants to fight the threat of corona waves in autumn with vaccine orders on a large scale.

"We'll get vaccine that protects against the omicron variants.

We expect that in September," said Lauterbach of "Bild am Sonntag".

“We already have a vaccine against Delta variants.

Our goal is to have as many vaccines as possible for every citizen, no matter which variant comes up.”

At the same time, Lauterbach warned of a possible “killer variant” later this year: “Various omicron subvariants are currently developing, which I am concerned about.

The intervals at which new variants replace the old are becoming shorter and shorter.

This means that we are less and less able to prepare for the mutations," he told the newspaper.

It's entirely possible that we'll get a highly contagious omicron variant that's as deadly as Delta.

That would be an absolute killer option.”

Infection Protection Act is to change again

Lauterbach advocated changes to the Infection Protection Act as quickly as possible in order to be able to enforce a mask requirement indoors again in autumn.

"The situation will change again in autumn, then the cases will increase, then there will probably be new mutations or the number of cases with omicron infections will increase sharply.

That's why we have to revise the Infection Protection Act again by then."

It could then “be absolutely necessary and legally achievable again that we make wearing masks indoors compulsory again.” Lauterbach also believes that such a development is due to the rejection of compulsory vaccination: “The failure of compulsory vaccination was a bitter disappointment,” emphasized the minister.

“After a good summer, the large vaccination gap can mean a tough autumn.

Then many scientists expect the next waves.”

Reports that eleven million doses of vaccine will soon have to be destroyed were rejected by Lauterbach: "That's not true.

Depending on how many people want a fourth shot, only four million doses will expire at most.”